During my spiritual apprenticeship and studies I had the occasions to experiment and play in the energy of fear to see what I could learn and master for myself. I share them with you here because I think each one of us can identify with these fears and learn how to transform fear into love, and the power that gives us.

Frequently, my teachers have been my spirit guides or beings in other dimensions. One of these is the entity known as Bashar, channeled most famously through Darryl Anka. I've had many personal and group sessions with Bashar (as well as multidimensional experiences with Bashar), and this is the Bashar I reference below.

A personal fear story:

Many years ago I had an astral body experience in which I was taken aboard a ship into a small classroom that had white boards (like the kind of blackboards/chalkboards, whatever you call them in schools today). I was there with another channel. Both of us channel the same entity and have many connections with other entities and both of us had been in excellent channeling classes for years with the best teachers - I can't stress how important it is for channels or mediums to have GOOD teachers and training and not go solo until you have a solid relationship with at least one trusted spirit guide.

This room was on board an Essessani ship, with Bashar. Bashar stood up in front of us and stated that said he was teaching a class on FEAR. At that moment, I was ready to jump out of my seat and say, "Thanks, but no thanks....I'm outta here." But, something compelled me to stay and stick it out - my higher self knew it was time to face this.

Bashar looked at us intently and said, "At any moment I can transform into anything at all. And you'll never know ahead of time what that will be." My mind went crazy; I was already in a panic. I started to see Bashar transform into a dinosaur, then a reptilian, then hideous monsters. It was like a chaotic tornado generating the energy of fear. Everywhere I turned, there was a new creature.

All of a sudden, I put on the brakes. Something within me said, "Hey, wait a minute! What's really going on here?!" I looked around and started laughing my ass off. This was really funny because I finally realized what had just taken place. Crying from laughing so hard, I approached Bashar in the classroom again and said, "Thank you, SO MUCH, Bashar. This is the BEST class I've ever had!"

A few months later I attended a channeling session in which Darryl Anka was channeling Bashar and I asked about that dreamtime/astral experience. Before I could get the all of the words out of my mouth, Bashar jumped right in, nodded, and said, "Yes, it was a fear class - and you get an "A." Then he asked me, "Tell everyone here - what did you learn from that class?"

I recounted the experience for those present. I said that I had clearly seen that Bashar hadn't transformed into anything AT ALL!!!! It was my illusions, my imagination, my fear, that started to see him as these beings that were hideous to me - my OWN fear images! My own reflection of what I feared about some ETs! Bashar smiled and said, "Yes, exactly."

To this day, that has still been one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned. That was when I realized how powerful we really are, how powerful our own fears are - they lead us down avenues that are not real, yet are easily mistaken for being real. Does this mean that other life forms don't exist? No. It means being able to see clearly what is what and being in charge of how we want to respond to what we see, instead of letting fear overpower us. Our own prejudices often prevent us from clear sight and understanding. Because some beings may look frightening, does it mean they are evil or harmful? Not necessarily.

It is only when we see the reflection of these monsters in ourselves that we can face our own fears and heal them. I realized that love and even laughter is the most powerful energy there is in the universe. I realized how we play games with ourselves - keeping our subconscious and unconscious separate from our consciousness - keeping us believing that we don't create anything ourselves but something is always out there - some boogey man - who is to blame. WRONG. We create it all. Furthermore, energy attracts like energy. When we REALLY "get" this, then we can start being responsible metaphysicians, channels, mediums, creators (instead of victims) who can set our own boundaries out of love and respect for ourselves, who can be discerning about what we will or won't allow into our space, and how we want to direct our abilities.

A fear and love experiment:

I wanted to experiment with something Bashar had discussed regarding fear and what we attract. The vibration of fear is lower and more dense than the vibration of love. When one is in a vibration of love, they are of much more light and vibrate faster, therefore harder to see with the naked eye of those more rooted in lower density vibrations. I asked for a lesson in this, I had to see this in action for myself, and within ONE day the opportunity arrived.

I had gone to my gas station and to purchase something. When I drove up I saw there was a little commotion going on between some men at the station arguing with the station attendant. The argument was heating up, the men were walking in and out of the station building. I told mysef that no matter what happens, I will remain in a love energy vibration, no fear. I parked my car and started inside. The men didn't notice me.

The men began yelling at the attendant, threatening him, and ran outside. The attendant was clearly shaken and uncertain what to do. I calmy requested for what I wanted to buy and asked what was going on. The station attendant told me these men had stolen something and were denying it. I suggested he call the police immediately. The accused thieves stormed into the building again, wielding a gun. I kept my focus of no fear. The thieves and the attendant were shouting at each other and I turned around and walked back to my car. They didn't notice me coming or going. I had nothing to do with their fight. It was as if I had been invisible to them. It was amazing to me to see this in action. Had I gotten caught up in their drama and bought into the fear, or even gotten verbally involved with their battle, I would have put myself in potential danger. I chose to remain with a higher vibration. Thankfully, everything turned out okay for the station attendant and the gun was not fired, the police came and handled it from there.

The power of love over fear:

I once had an acquaintance who was a troubled man who never resolved serious past traumas in his life. He was also bipolar and I suspect a schizophrenic with post traumatic stress syndrome, and a substance abuse problem. I had been helping him get a new start in life. Ignoring my pleas to him to not drink alcohol, he drank a full bottle of sake and quickly got plastered. He was a nasty, abusive drunk. When drunk, a subpersonality took over. This other personality had an ego the size of Mars and was so insecure that it had to constantly make threats to feel powerful. He went on a rant that lasted more than an hour about his rule over the Earth and how he decided who lived or died. He threatened me and my family with death. He held a knife to my throat during this rant of his.

I could easily have taken the path to fear, but I chose to be fully present with all of it; the man's emotions, talking to this sick personality, staying in a love and compassion vibration, determined within me that I would not die, nor would anybody else in my family. And yet, if he were to kill me, I would not be fearful. I would trust my higher self the Source to the outcome. I called upon angels to assist. The more agitated he became, the more compassionate I became. I could feel his intense anger, pain and fear and knew this is where this horrid shadow self was coming from. I kept looking into his eyes and sent him more love. I did not move at all. I felt very powerful and yet very soft. He broke down and said he would allow me and my family to live. He removed the knife from my throat and burst into tears. I took him home and he cried like a baby for more than two hours letting out all of his pain while I listened and was there for him. He claimed, afterwards, that he had no memory of that event. But I didn't believe him because I could see shame and regret in his eyes (which he tried to shield from me).

I can't say what I'd recommend to anybody else who would find themselves in such situations: I only know what I had to do, and that was to trust my higher self's guidance. That probably saved my life. Had I attempted a battle of negative egos with the man or gone wild with fear, it could have made him feel threatened and more fearful, and backfired on me. Staying centered, focused and empowered allowed me to be in full control of myself. It also gave the man permission to feel what I was sending him, challenging him in a peaceful and loving way, not resisting or matching his energy, to allow his higher self to guide him. Love diffused his pain and anger. I know one thing for certain - after that event the man wouldn't take another drink of alcohol.

What I can suggest is that (when you feel it's right) you experiment with not matching angry energies and not resisting them, not allowing fear to control you, and certainly not staying in real physical danger if you sense it, but maintaining the energy of love with an open heart, and see what happens.